Author: CASSMAN Publish Time: 2025-09-05 Origin: CASSMAN BEER BREWING EQUIPMENT
Project Title: Engineering a High-Efficiency 1500L 4-Vessel Brewhouse for a Second-Generation Belgian Brewery
Client: "Brasserie de la Forêt," a respected family-owned brewery in the Wallonia region of Belgium, known for its classic Saison and Blonde ales.
Location: Wallonia, Belgium
For "Brasserie de la Forêt," brewing is a legacy. The brewery, founded by the current owner's father, built its reputation on meticulously crafted traditional Belgian styles. However, as the second generation took the helm, they faced a critical juncture. Their old, manually-operated brewhouse was inefficient, labor-intensive, and lacked the flexibility to experiment with new styles demanded by a younger audience. They envisioned a future where they could increase distribution of their beloved classics across Europe while also launching a new line of innovative, hop-forward beers. This required a complete technological leap.
Expanding a heritage brewery is about more than just making more beer; it's about future-proofing a legacy. The project's success hinged on four key objectives:
Flexibility for a Dual Portfolio: The new system had to be a chameleon. It needed the capability to perform complex, traditional step-mashes for their Saison, while also being perfectly equipped to handle the massive hop additions and specific temperature profiles of a modern New England IPA.
Automation for Unwavering Consistency: At a 1500L scale, manual control leads to variation. They needed a high degree of automation to eliminate human error, ensure every batch of their flagship Blonde ale was identical, and reduce the physical strain on their brewing team.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: With rising energy costs in Europe, sustainability was a business imperative. The new system had to be designed for maximum thermal efficiency, recovering and reusing energy wherever possible to lower operating costs and reduce their environmental footprint.
Turnkey Solution with Full CE/PED Compliance: The client needed a single, reliable partner to deliver a complete, integrated solution—from brewhouse to cellar—that was fully certified to CE and Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) standards for seamless approval and operation in Belgium.
CASSMAN designed a state-of-the-art, turnkey solution built for efficiency, flexibility, and control: a 1500L 4-Vessel Automated Brewhouse (Mash Tun, Lauter Tun, Kettle, Whirlpool).
Key System Features:
High-Efficiency 4-Vessel Configuration: The 4-vessel design (separating mash, lauter, kettle, and whirlpool) is the cornerstone of high-throughput brewing. It allowed the brewery to begin mashing a new batch while the previous batch was still in the kettle or whirlpool, enabling them to easily perform two or even three brews in a single day.
Siemens S7 Automation Suite: The entire brewery was controlled by a powerful Siemens S7 PLC and a large, intuitive touchscreen HMI. This allowed brewers to:
Store and execute dozens of recipes with the press of a button.
Automate complex step-mash schedules, water mixing, and temperature control.
Monitor and control the entire process from a single screen, freeing them up for other critical tasks like yeast management and quality control.
Integrated Energy Recovery System: To address the sustainability goal, the system included a kettle steam condenser. This device captures the steam produced during the boil and uses its heat to generate hot water (up to 80°C), which is stored in an insulated tank and used for the next brew's mash-in, significantly reducing overall energy consumption.
Modern Hopping & Fermentation Tools: The solution included a mobile hop cannon for safely and efficiently dry-hopping IPAs, and cellar tanks equipped with dual-zone glycol jackets for precise, independent temperature control of both the cone and cylinder—critical for managing both traditional Belgian yeast strains and modern ale yeasts.
Our process was designed to provide a seamless, end-to-end upgrade for the brewery.
Collaborative Layout & Process Design: Using 3D modeling, we worked with the client to design the optimal layout for their new facility, ensuring a logical workflow from grain handling to packaging. We programmed the initial recipes into the Siemens PLC based on their existing, time-honored processes.
Turnkey System Delivery: CASSMAN supplied the complete package: the 4-vessel brewhouse, all fermenters and brite tanks, a CIP station, glycol chilling system, and all interconnecting piping. This ensured perfect compatibility and integration.
Full Compliance Management: We provided a comprehensive technical dossier, including all material certifications, welding procedures, and pressure test reports required for a smooth CE/PED certification process.
On-Site Commissioning & Automation Training: A CASSMAN automation engineer was on-site in Wallonia to oversee the final installation, commission the entire plant, and provide in-depth training to the brewing team on how to master their new automated system.
The new 1500L system revolutionized Brasserie de la Forêt's operations and market position.
Production Capacity Doubled with Less Labor: The efficiency of the 4-vessel system and the power of automation allowed them to double their weekly output while reducing the labor required per hectoliter of beer produced.
Successful Brand Expansion: With the new flexibility, they launched a highly successful line of craft IPAs that captured a new demographic, all while increasing the production of their classic ales to meet distributor demand.
Measurable Energy Savings: The steam recovery system cut their gas consumption for water heating by over 30%, resulting in significant annual cost savings and a smaller carbon footprint.
A Legacy Secured: The second-generation owner was thrilled. "CASSMAN delivered a brewery that is the best of both worlds. It has the soul to perfectly recreate my father's recipes and the brain to do it with incredible consistency and efficiency. It gives us the tools to honor our past while brewing our future."
The "Brasserie de la Forêt" project is a testament to CASSMAN's ability to help established breweries evolve. We understand that modernization is not about replacing tradition, but about empowering it. By providing highly automated, efficient, and flexible brewing solutions, we help our partners increase their capacity, improve their consistency, and innovate for the future, ensuring their legacy thrives for generations to come.
For breweries at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, CASSMAN is the partner that builds the bridge.
